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We’re well into Spring here in Luxembourg. The world is going green around us – peppered with golden daffodils, mauve magnolias and pinky tree blossoms. And while we’re welcoming the warmer weather, our skin can still be dehydrated from Winter and needs time and care to transition.

In the Spring, allergens can trigger symptoms of psoriasis and eczema, warmth and humidity can cause acne and breakouts, and exposure to sun, wind and higher temps even affects rosacea.

So we need to adapt our routines accordingly.

I fall into the second category and fight my breakouts by exfoliating (only once a week) and drinking loads of hot water.

Knowing the antioxidant properties of green tea, from my homemade face masks, I decided to give a homemade Green Tea Exfoliating Scrub a try.

RECIPE:

In a glass jar mix :

1 Large spoonful of Green Tea

2 Cups White Sugar

¼ Cup Olive Oil

1 Spoonful Honey

A few drops of Essential Oil (optional)

This scrub is gentle enough to use on both face and body. Just make sure to check the quality of your ingredients and to beware of potential food allergies. I loved how silky my skin felt afterwards and the tingling sensation from the sugar crystals lasted.

Go Green with your face masks and scrubs.

The Lymphatic System works all year round, removing waste from the body’s tissue and working in tandem with the circulatory, digestive and nervous systems. Which is why a Lymphatic Drainage Facial can reduce puffiness in the eye area and visibly reduce swelling in the neck as well as the rest of the face. But we can also stimulate the lymphatic system through our gut!

Getting more greens into our bellies naturally helps maintain well-being and can help prevent illnesses.

No time to eat your veggies? Make a green juice. Grab whatever is, well, the color green. Mix them up in a blender, or boil them in water to make a broth. (OK, you can cheat a little by adding lemons or carrots or beets) Drinking green juices before meals helps heal the gut, so benefits the lymphatic system.

Or, try this surprisingly delicious Avocado Smoothie.

Go Green with your gut.

While the argument is still raging on baths vs showers, taking a bath will actually help to stay hydrated as we move into spring. Soaking in the hot water helps unclog pores and allows the skin to absorb products. Baths release stress and sooth muscles. Remember Relax the body. = Relax the Face? Baths also lower cortisol levels to combat premature aging.

Go Green with your bath (maybe only fill the tub halfway).

Yay Spring!

New to the Club Haus Am Brill this Spring, I will be doing two days of Japanese Facial Massage!!!

Dating back to the 15th Century as a way to prolong a youthful appearance,the Japanese Facial Massage combines rhythmic touch and the stimulation of the meridians to purify, hydrate and energize the face.

It’s a natural face-lifting that:

*Repairs and Rejuvenates sagging skin

*Restores skin radiance and elasticity

*Reduces the depth of wrinkles

*Diminishes the effects of stress

*Causes deep relaxation

This massage benefits all types of skin, young and mature, for both men and women. Not recommended in the case of dermatitis, recent wounds , scars, or bruising.

Where : Club Haus Am Brill, Capellen

When : Tuesday, May 7th & Tuesday, June 11th  – between the hours of 10h – 13h30

Price : 65 Euros for a 50 minute massage

To book your massage please telephone the Club Haus Am Brill : 30 00 01

 

 

 

Where : Club Haus Am Brill, Capellen

When : Saturday May  4th, 10h – 11h30

Facial asymmetries are common and natural and can become more pronounced with age.

This workshop concentrates on how to identify eye asymmetry and it’s possible causes, and teaches correctional and preventative exercises to stimulate and even the eye area.

For more information or to sign up for the workshop contact the Club Haus Am Brill on : 30 00 01

For more information about Face Yoga contact: kim@faceyogaluxembourg.com

 

Where : Club Haus Am Brill, Capellen

When : Saturday March 16th, 10h – 11h30

The forehead is the largest muscle in the head and face. Learn exercises to lift, relax and de-stress this area. Your whole face (and body) will benefit.

For more information or to sign up for the workshop contact the Club Haus Am Brill on : 30 00 01

For more information about Face Yoga contact: kim@faceyogaluxembourg.com

As of today, I haven’t written a blog post in almost three months. Apologies.

Somewhere between learning Japanese Facial, Hot Stone and Auto massage (all of which I hope to bring to Face Yoga Luxembourg soon), and planning and hosting my workshops, and re-doing the bedroom myself, and studying for my boating license, and, and, and…. I lost 57 days.

How Time Flies!

One thing I did not neglect is my Face Yoga practice.

OK my morning routine is fairly set-in-stone, and yeah, I get to practice when planning workshop content and experimenting with how to flow the different exercises and movements together, and I don’t drive anywhere without pulling a few faces. But yes, I did hands-free exercises while painting and covering the old floor. And yes, I did exercises using the table top while studying, making sure to keep my chin as lifted as possible.

Even as I am writing this, I’m reminding myself to sit up straight, not frown, relax the face, and to keep the tongue centered on the roof of the mouth. Sounds like a lot to keep in mind, but it’s not really. It can become second nature the more you become aware of how you carry yourself and use your face throughout the day. Face Yoga practice helps you do just that.

Is it really almost Winter?

How Time Flies!

Another thing I haven’t neglected is taking care of my skin. Lower temperatures can strip the skin of up to 25% of it’s moisture. Time to think about using thicker moisturizer. Fortunately my homemade cream is already fairly thick, and coupled with my homemade moisture spray I get a nice protective barrier against the cold. And my homemade lip balms double as under-eye protection.

If I know I’m going to be spending time outdoors, I’ll do more circulation-boosting exercises to warm up the face.

As usual, the end-of-the-year holidays have snuck up on us again. It’s that time of year when were all rushing around, shopping, socializing, travelling, meeting family obligations, stressing, and saying to ourselves we can’t believe it’s almost 2019.

How Time Flies!

Circulation-boosting exercises will also help you to get a rosy glow and add color to the lips. Ready for those holiday photos ! And so many of the Face Yoga poses will help you relax and release tensions from the upper body, neck, head and, of course, the face.

Recently and old friend sent me a photo from when I was about 16-years-old. Sixteen. With a plump face and not a wrinkle on the horizon. Do I regret that face ? Not really. Thanks to Face Yoga I’ve learned to like what I see in the mirror today – maybe even more than when I was a teen!

Still, it was one of those moments when I said to myself, “How Time Flies!”

Wishing you all Peaceful and Happy Festivities.

See you next year.

Mother Nature gave me small downward-turned eyes. But being a firm believer in the Face Yoga Method, I know I can battle gravity & droopy eyelids, correct my asymmetries, open up the gaze, AND improve the under-eye area to boot!

Summer Goal N°1 was : Work the Eye Area.

I’m also a victim of Presbyopia,”middle-age” or “old-age” sight. That pesky, gradual loss of nearsightedness. Noticing a greater dependence on my reading glasses for more than just reading, I started investigating ways to improve and/or reverse this process naturally.

Summer Goal N°2 was : Explore Yogic Eye Exercises

Summer goal N°3 was master Crow Pose. Well, that one…..

Yes. Summer is cool – less work & commitments. But Summer is also chaotic – vacations & visits, training, outdoor work and organizing for Autumn.

Fortunately my Face Yoga exercises are so anchored in my daily habits that I didn’t have to create a routine, just customize my existing one. (No excuses guys. Nothing is stopping you from creating YOUR own routine.)

With Face Yoga, opening the eyes wide, without wrinkling the forehead and squinting with the lower part of the ring-eye muscle are two integral movements. But I concentrated instead on Visualizing, Isolating & Moving just the upper part of the ring-eye muscle. Think raising one eyebrow, keeping the forehead relaxed. Not easy. I know!

I combined that with the famous squint while lifting the crow’s feet area, and circular and “V”-shaped yogic eye movements using my hands to encourage the eye muscles upwards. Hands help the muscles remember where I want them to go! And I massaged regularly from the brow upwards, around the eyes, and under the eyes to train & relax the muscles, drain fluids AND stimulate collagen & elastin production.

I also added Swinging into my upper body warm-up. Swinging consists of, well, swinging the body from side to side from the torso, first with the eyes open to focus rapidly on what is on each side of you, then with eyes closed, so the eyes will “remember” what you saw on each side.

Research taught me that our eyes need natural light to stimulate the rods & cones and decrease photo sensitivity, (You’ll squint less too, helping to reduce the 11 lines between the brows.) So I started Sunning*.

When Sunning*, we, very basically, face a light source with our eyes closed and turn our head from side to side for 30 seconds to 10 minutes or so as is comfortable. Never look directly at the sun!

I also learned our eyes need darkness to recuperate. So we follow Sunning* with Palming*, by cupping our hands over the eyes to block out all the light, breathing deeply, for the same amount of time. You can tilt your head 90° for a neck stretch or repeat affirmations if you like.

*But please, do some research on your own before practicing. I am not an expert in eye care, and you want to be informed before beginning any type of exercise.

My days included Face Yoga exercises whenever I had a moment and more massage-based movements, and eye circles before bed.

Actually all the “exercises” I did, though they seem stimulating, have relaxing effects on the eye. While we improve and lift the eye area, this dynamic relaxation is key to improving vision as well.

Two months later, I am satisfied with the results. I have less dark circles, more control over my eye movements, and a greater awareness to relax my brows.

I’ll never have Bette Davis Eyes and that’s OK.

My vision? It’s way to early to tell. I’ve got a lot more work & research to do. Stay tuned for the next installment of M(eye) Adventure.

If you have questions concerning Face Yoga Eye Exercises feel free to contact me :

kimfaceyogaluxembourg.com.

You can also check out my Quick Eye Area Workout Video here.

 

Our faces are exposed year-round, so we’re pretty diligent about keeping up with our facial skincare regime, but often neglect our bodies, hands and feet, especially when it comes to exfoliating.

Then, the warmer weather hits, the sandals and lighter, shorter clothing come out of the closet, the vacation is just around the corner, and we think, “Uh oh!” Time to run to the beauty isle and grab one of the many yummy-smelling body scrubs and creams on offer.

Or you could make your own…just as yummy smelling, just as efficient. But YOU control the ingredients.

I make my own Pink Himalayan Salt Scrub. Himalayan Salt is a super strong exfoliator. It draws out toxins, contains 84 minerals and trace elements, and is 99% pure.

HIMALAYAN SALT SCRUB

½ cup Fine Pink Himalayan Salt

¼ cup Coconut or Sweet Almond Oil (or a mixture of both)

1/8 cup Castile Soap

10 drops Rosemary Essential Oil

You could substitute the Himalayan Salt with Sea Salt, swap the rosemary for another oil of your choice, or, if you prefer something more gentle and sweeter-smelling, make a SUGAR SCRUB.*

Sugar is a better alternative if you have sensitive skin and is recommended for the face. Salt granules tend to be rough-edged and harsher, great for removing rough or calloused patches, while the more-rounded sugar granules are less-irritating for the face and bust. You can use your salt scrub anywhere, but GO GENTLY! Some people also find the salt scrub more drying and need to moisturize more afterwards. My scrub contains a lot of oil, so I don’t feel the need. It’s a personal preference.

* And please, keep in mind, whether you buy or make a scrub, be cautious about ingredients and your skin’s sensitivity, or possible allergic reactions. Always test a product first.

We all know the benefits of exfoliation:

-Removes dead skin cells for better cell turnover and softer-feeling skin

-Cleanses pores to reduce their appearance and prevent acne

-Improves circulation to oxygenate the skin and get that rosy glow

-Drains lymph and reduces fluid retention, puffiness & swollen skin

So don’t forget to exfoliate both face & body all year long. You deserve to pamper yourself.

I’m convinced.      Oil Pulling really works.      Really.      Truly.

I’ve known about it, thought it seemed like a good idea and even published an article on the Facebook page last year. So why am I just discovering this now ?

I had a micro-gum infection. It sounds a lot grosser than it was, but it just wouldn’t go away. So after a couple of months of returning to the dentist weekly, only to be told that I needed to make yet another appointment for a novocaine-numbed deep-cleaning, I decided to trade in the nightly application of anti-bacterial gel for a morning session of oil pulling. I returned to the dentist two weeks later, braced for my deep-clean, only to be told the infection was gone and that my gum had returned to a normal level along the tooth.

Ha! The sages of India really knew their stuff after all. Oil Pulling has been used for thousands of years and is part of Ayruvedic medicine as a natural detoxifying practice. It improves overall oral health (including fighting cavities and gum disease), soothes and heals throat issues and can even, help flush out sinus problems. Oil Pulling is also thought to have an effect on other parts of the body as well.

Many different oils can be used including, coconut, sesame, olive, unrefined sunflower or ghee (butter oil).

My go-to, and obvious choice was coconut. It’s one of those products you will always find in my pantry (along with peanut butter). I cook with it, add it into smoothies, use it to make some of my homemade creams and beauty products and even slather it on toast (yum!). So I didn’t need to be convinced about it being one of the world’s healthiest oils. It’s got so many uses to go into them all here, but I will mention that it is antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, and anti-viral. In short the anti-oil. It’s good for you.

How do you Oil Pull?

In the mornings, before eating or drinking any beverages, rinse the mouth, then swish a spoonful of the oil of your choice around in your mouth for 10 – 20 minutes. (Personally, I drink my hot water first.) Do not swallow the oil. Spit it out when you are finished. Then rinse the mouth again.

So, yes, MY morning routine may have gotten a bit longer. But it also doubles as a great  warm-up and workout for the mouth area!

If you follow me on Facebook, have participated in one of my workshops, or have read some of my previous blogs, you know that I am always encouraging people to find those moments during the day when you can do your Face Yoga exercises. And if you have a block of time to do a little routine or work on a specific area, all the better.

Face Yoga is what I do. So I have a fairly set morning and evening routine. I honestly fit in exercises whenever I think about it. And if you find me in front of the TV or in a car (driver or passenger), you can bet I’m doing a little Face Yoga at the same time. Some days I prepare and practice for lessons and workshops. Other days I revise the exercises I do less frequently. Then there are busy days, disorganized days, and just plain old lazy days where I do less. But I do something EVERY day, no matter when, where or how long. It is habit, a part of my lifestyle.

I was recently traveling. Being away from home, being on the move, and sometimes being exhausted gave me the perfect opportunity to put my money where my mouth is and fit in Face Yoga exercises whenever I could.

There’s always a lot of sitting and waiting for a plane, train or bus. I just held my magazine up (book, tablet, newspaper) and no one could see if I was making faces or not. (Neck high, not down creating wrinkles and helping gravity!) When I was doing an exercise like The Smile Lifter, it just looked like I was enjoying what I was reading!

Then there’s the time you actually spend in transit. There were a lot of exercises I could do in the confines of the airplane seat – exercises to stretch the neck, tone and relax the eyes, push acupressure points or mini-massage areas to name a few. They all helped to make me feel more relaxed and refreshed AND pass the time more quickly.

Spending several hours in the car? Rather than just slouching and watching the scenery, I could do as much or as little Face Yoga as I wanted. No matter if I was the passenger, or the one driving.

And all that sitting (no matter what type of transport we’re talking about) gives you the opportunity to remind yourself to sit up straight, shoulders down and relax the upper back. You feel less cramped at the end of the trip too.

Sometimes you can spend a lot of time on the subway before you get to your destination. It was another perfect moment to exercise. “What did the other passengers think?” you ask. They were all on their phones, reading or sleeping. No one was looking at me!

Being a tourist, you spend a lot of time waiting in queues for museums, monuments, amusement rides, food etc… Since not all Face Yoga exercises are spectacular facial movements, I doubt anyone else even realized I was exercising.

Not having time for my morning routine made me feel guilty at first. So I had to decide which area(s) of the face I wanted to NOT neglect, which exercises were the most powerful for me, and how could I combine exercises to get maximum benefits in a short amount of time. Two or three can do the trick. Then I though about what I do normally just walking around my house doing other things, and combined that with getting ready for my day. It’s called multi-tasking.

It was a little harder to stay hydrated with all the moving around – especially getting hot water. Mornings and evenings at the guest houses were easy. But most restaurants plop a big glass of ice water in front of you as soon as you sit down. When I, a bit sheepishly, asked for plain, hot water the first time, the response was not what I expected. The waitress told me people order it a lot more than you would think. So don’t be afraid to order it yourself.

My homemade cream, moisture spray and lip balm were lifesavers, as far as keeping my skin moist. No surprise, but this was especially true for the plane trip and during the day when I was out visiting and not having the opportunity to drink water whenever I wanted, or whenever my skin felt dry and tight. Taking care of the skin while you travel is so important whatever products you prefer.

I hope I don’t give the impression that I spent my vacation obsessing about my skin and doing Face Yoga exercises – far from it. But it was surprisingly easy to keep up with some sort of routine away from home.

So I’m sure there are many, daily moments that you could be doing Face Yoga too. And that, if you are committed enough, they can become part of YOUR daily routine.

And if you’re on vacation? No excuses.